Consumer adoption of technological innovations:Effects of psychological and functional barriers in a lack of content versus a presence of content situation

摘要

Purpose - This study seeks to investigate barriers in the consumer adoption process of technologicalrninnovations under different contingencies. The paper aims to focus on barriers impeding adoption ofrntechnologies characterized by high incompatibility and high uncertainty - i.e. a "lack of content" (LoC)rnsituation - versus technologies characterized by low incompatibility and low uncertainty - i.e. arn"presence of content" (PoC) situation.rnDesign/methodology/approach - Based on a literature study, the paper develops hypotheses thatrndistinguish the diverging effects of both psychological and functional barriers on consumer adoptionrnin different situations (LoC versus PoC). Data were collected by means of a survey, resulting in anrneffective sample of 229 respondents.rnFindings - In the case of LoC, the value, risk (financial and performance) and image barrier arernnegatively related to adoption intention, where the latter barrier is significantly stronger for the LoCrnsituation than for the PoC situation. For PoC, it is found that the value, image, and financial riskrnbarriers are negatively related to adoption intention, where the value barrier outweighs all otherrnbarriers. Interestingly, the traditional barrier reveals a positive effect on adoption intention.rnPractical implications - The results suggest that managers and retailers should develop a morernsophisticated understanding of consumers' adoption intention of new technologies. Distinguishingrnbetween LoC and PoC situations offers managers the opportunity to differentiate their communicationrnstrategies and design more compelling ways for consumers to overcome the specific barriers theyrnperceive in each situation.rnOriginality/value - The paper attempts to offer a more fine-grained understanding of consumerrnadoption by investigating the extent to which the lack versus the presence of content gives rise torndifferences regarding the effects of psychological and functional barriers to technology adoption.